


The Epic Highs and Lows of Raising A Child

by just_a_hungry_author



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma Friendship, Akaashi Keiji Is So Done, Akaashi and Kuroo are fighting, Anxious Kozume Kenma, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou are Bros, Child Kenma AU, Child Kozume Kenma, Crying Kuroo Tetsurou, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hes kind of a jerk but also he makes a lot of sense, Kozume Kenma & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Good Friend, Literal Sleeping Together, Mentions of child neglect, Owl Bokuto Koutarou, Protective Kuroo Tetsurou, Sad Kuroo Tetsurou, Selective Mute Kozume Kenma, Shy Kozume Kenma, Sick Kozume Kenma, Sleepy Akaashi Keiji, Sleepy Boys, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Kozume Kenma, Sleepy Kuroo Tetsurou, Student Akaashi Keiji, Student Bokuto Koutarou, Student Kuroo Tetsurou, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, he goes through a lot, no I’m not, selective mute, selective mutism, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:01:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27940454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_a_hungry_author/pseuds/just_a_hungry_author
Summary: College was turning into a picture perfect experience for Kuroo Tetsurou.He has a fairly successful volleyball career, he was renting an on-campus apartment with his best friend (and said best friend's boyfriend), and was somehow managing spectacular grades in his biochemistry major despite the crushing weight of procrastination and stress.All in all, Kuroo was glad to say that college was exactly as he planned it to be... until his life got flipped upside down.When Kuroo finds a child in an alleyway, he’s granted temporary custody while the police search for his parents.It wouldn’t be too difficult, except this child is selective mute, shy, and clingy.OR:Have you seen Big Daddy with Adam Sandler? This is like that.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou & Kozume Kenma & Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma, Akaashi Keiji & Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Bokuto Koutarou & Kozume Kenma, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou, Kozume Kenma & Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 70
Kudos: 243





	1. Child Acquired

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I'll be Your Home](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25502044) by [Yuxing786](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuxing786/pseuds/Yuxing786). 



> Hey! Thanks so so much for being interested in this story! 
> 
> I want to add a disclaimer here that I am not a professional in child care (though I am currently taking Child Psychology and Development so I hope my writing is at least a little accurate or my grades are in trouble). 
> 
> I’d also like to say that Kenma’s selective mutism is based on my own experiences with being selective mute, so it may not be the same symptoms as others have had.
> 
> Please enjoy!

College was turning into a picture perfect experience for Kuroo Tetsurou. 

His fairly successful volleyball career in high school was bleeding into his college career, if his season last year was any indication.

He was renting an on-campus apartment with his best friend (and said best friend's boyfriend), where they spent most nights watching movies or playing video games instead of doing homework. 

And sure every once in a while they would get drunk and party like the irresponsible college kids they were, but if they ended up sick and hungover a few times then who needed to know?

Kuroo was somehow managing spectacular grades in his biochemistry major despite the crushing weight of procrastination and stress, and he was enjoying it for the most part.

All in all, Kuroo was glad to say that college was exactly as he planned it to be.

Still though, he couldn't help but feel like something was missing from his life. 

At the moment, his so-called best friend was complaining about his own feelings of something missing. 

"It's really not that big of a deal, Bo." 

The cool evening air settled around Kuroo as he walked, signifying the end of summer and the beginning of Autumn. 

School was in full swing, the weekends the only saving grace for students everywhere. 

And what was Kuroo doing on his Saturday night? 

Walking to the grocery store to avoid a fight with his overly-dramatic best friend.

"It _is_ that big of a deal!" Bokuto yelled through the phone. "Those are my comfort snacks, Kuroo! You don't mess with a man's comfort snacks!" 

Kuroo sighed, watching his breath fog up in front of him and dissipate into the air. "Dude, I'm literally walking to the store right now to get groceries. I'll buy you another box of cookies, you big baby." 

"That's not the point man, it's the principle!" 

"How about I buy you two boxes? Would that make you shut your-"

Kuroo stopped in his tracks as loud rustling caught his attention.

It was coming from a nearby alleyway, so he stepped closer to it to have a look. 

He squinted at the darkness, only being able to make out faint outlines of shapes.

Just as he was about to brush it off and continue walking, there was another rustling noise and he _definitely_ saw something move down there.

He didn't know if it was an animal, or a person, or even just his imagination, but something was calling him to that alley. 

Something strong enough to be worth checking out. 

Bokuto was still ranting on the phone. 

"The next time you get a snack that you're looking forward to eating I'm gonna eat the whole box in front of you, how's that? I'll savor every single-"

"I'll call you back, Bo." 

Kuroo hung up without waiting for a reply. 

Then he took a tentative step down the alley. "Hello?" 

The rustling stopped completely, and Kuroo thought he heard a noise- it almost sounded like a whimper. 

He paused for a moment and took a breath, praying that if it was a homeless person that he wasn't about to get jumped.

He took another step. "Is there anybody down here?" 

This time he definitely heard a whimper in response, so he stepped closer.

He nearly gasped when he found the source of the noise. 

That is _not_ what he'd been expecting.

In the corner of the alleyway, curled up into a ball, was a kid. 

Well, less of a kid and more of a toddler. 

His back was to Kuroo, and his face was shielded by his long black hair.

Kuroo immediately softened his voice, a different kind of fear starting to take over him. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you." 

He bent down to the child's level, practically on his knees. "I know you're probably scared, but I promise I'm not gonna do anything to you. Where's your mom and dad?" 

The kid turned his head briefly, giving Kuroo a quick flash of his golden eyes, before he buried himself back into his knees. 

Kuroo frowned, at a loss for what to do. 

This kid couldn't be any more than four years old.

For a moment he considered calling the police, but there was a chance that the kid would try to run away while he was on the phone, thinking he was in trouble.

But he didn't want to just reach out and pick him up either- if he started screaming about stranger danger then _Kuroo_ would be the one that the police were concerned about. 

And where were his parents? 

Surely a kid this young wouldn't have just run away from home, right? 

A small rumbling sound pulled Kuroo out of his head, and he immediately recognized the noise.

"Hey, are you hungry?" 

Again, no response. 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wafer cookie- the same ones Bokuto had been complaining about earlier- and held it out. "Do you want some?" 

The kid glanced back at the cookie, his eyes locking onto it. 

Kuroo started opening the package. "I know you're not supposed to take food from people, stranger danger and all, but look." 

He broke the corner off of the wafer and ate it. "See? It's all good, I promise." 

For a moment nothing happened. 

Kuroo was trying to come to terms with the fact that he may have to take the risk and call the cops when hesitantly, a small hand reached out to grab the cookie. 

The kid had turned around to grab it, and Kuroo nearly gasped again. 

This kid was smaller than he thought.

He was wearing ripped jeans and a zip-up hoodie, and a tiny pair of beat up sneakers. 

In all honesty, he looked like he was about two. 

Kuroo sat down, not caring about how dirty his jeans would get, and watched as the child hesitantly nibbled on the snack. 

He tried to offer a friendly smile. "My name is Kuroo, can you tell me yours?" 

The kid just kept his eyes down and continued eating, and Kuroo frowned.

"Do you... know your name?" 

Then suddenly, Kuroo got his first response. 

A nod. 

"Okay, good. That's good." 

Kuroo was wracking his brain trying to figure out what to do. 

His gut was still telling him to go to the police, and deep down he knew that's what he _should_ do, but how would he get the kid there? 

He didn't even talk. 

Kuroo didn't want to pick him up and have the kid start crying, and he also didn't want to leave him alone. 

He could call, but how would he describe a random alleyway in the city? 

And besides, if they had the sirens on they might scare the kid.

"Ken...ma." 

Kuroo looked up in shock.

It was barely a whisper, but it was there. 

Words.

"What?" 

The kid kept his eyes down, but pointed at his chest. "Kenma." 

"Kenma." Kuroo said with a nod. "Okay Kenma, I'm Kuroo. Do you know how old you are?" 

Again, Kenma didn't look up, but he held out his hand, with three small fingers up. 

"You're only three?"

Kuroo ran a hand through his hair. 

This was bad. 

This was really bad. 

"Okay, okay.” He started, taking a breath to calm his rising panic. “Do you know where your mommy and daddy are?" 

At this Kenma whimpered, and a tear rolled down his cheek. 

"No, don't cry, don't cry. I'm gonna take you to the police and they're gonna help you find your parents." 

"No!" 

Kuroo looked up, both confused and shocked. 

That was the loudest he'd heard the child be, and it was still barely speaking volume. 

But... 

"No? You don't want to find your parents?" 

Kenma shook his head. 

"Um, okay. Okay." 

Kuroo frowned as heard the kid's stomach growl again. 

Just how long had he been in this alley? 

And why didn't he want to go home?

"Okay," Kuroo started, finally coming up with a somewhat acceptable idea. "How about you come with me then? I can take you to my house, I have more cookies." 

Kenma nodded. 

"Can I... pick you up?" 

Another nod. 

Carefully, Kuroo settled Kenma on his hip. 

This would be hard to explain. 

"I'm gonna kill him." Bokuto growled, pacing back and forth. "I'm going to _kill_ him." 

Akaashi sighed from his spot on the couch and looked up from the book he was reading. 

Bokuto had been pacing for almost twenty minutes, and it was starting to get annoying. 

"He said he'll buy you more, what's the big deal?"

"I'm a simple guy." Bokuto replied. "I want to play volleyball, party like a drunk college student from time to time, cuddle my boyfriend, and eat my wafer cookies. Is that too much to ask?" 

"You're blowing this out of proportion. I'm sure Kuroo didn't mean to upset you." 

"Well he did." 

"Well _you're_ upsetting _me_." Akaashi said, placing his book on the side table.

Bokuto immediately stopped pacing, guilt starting to weigh in on his shoulders. "Akaashi..." 

"Just come here." 

Bokuto smiled at that and slid next to him on the couch, allowing the younger to cuddle his chest. 

"Better?" Bokuto asked. 

"Better." Akaashi confirmed. 

He yawned and got settled in, ready to take a nice, long nap. 

He had his eyes shut for about eight seconds before Kuroo opened the door. 

"Kuroo!" Bokuto exclaimed loudly. "You better have bought me my cookies!" 

Akaashi went through a flurry of emotions in the span of two seconds.

First he glared at Bokuto, annoyed at his yelling. 

Then he shifted his glare to Kuroo for interrupting his nap, but his glare quickly melted into a frown.

The rooster-head was fiddling his fingers, and he hadn't made a move to step inside. 

In fact, most of his body was hidden by the door frame. 

"Kuroo," Akaashi started. "What's wrong?" 

"I... I didn't get the groceries." 

"What?" Bokuto yelled. "Why not?" 

"Well, I kind of picked up... something else?" 

Akaashi sat up. "What do you mean by something else?" 

"Don't freak out." Kuroo said with a frown.

"Kuroo..." 

"Seriously, don't. Especially you, Bo. You need to stay calm and quiet." 

Then he stepped inside, leading a small child in behind him. "Say hi, Kenma." 

Kenma had latched onto Kuroo's leg and kept his head buried into it, not even glancing up at the people around him.

Akaashi and Bokuto both jumped up, and Kuroo held his hand out. "Don't do that! Don't startle him!" 

"Kuroo," Akaashi said seriously. "Where in God's name did you get a kid?" 

"I'll explain everything later, okay? I don't think we should talk about it in front of him." 

Akaashi locked eyes with Kuroo, they had a quick three second conversation with just looks, and then Akaashi stiffly nodded. 

Bokuto, all cookie-aggression forgotten, walked over and crouched down in front of Kenma, giving him a wide, toothy grin. "Hey kid, I'm Bokuto. Nice to meet ya!" 

Kenma gave a small whine and gripped Kuroo's leg even tighter. 

"Hey, back off him." Kuroo said. "He's shy." 

"How old is he?" Akaashi questioned. 

"Three." 

Kuroo bent down next to Kenma, forcing the younger to let go of his leg. 

"Don't be scared, these guys are my friends." 

In search of a new comforting grip, Kenma moved to clutch Kuroo's neck and wrapped his legs around the older's stomach. 

Kuroo put a hand on Kenma's back. "Alright, alright. I'm gonna order pizza for us, okay? You want pizza?" 

Kenma didn't respond this time, and Kuroo frowned. 

"Bokuto," Kuroo started. "Would you...?" 

"Yeah, yeah. Come on Akaashi, let's go to the kitchen and order pizza. Because _that_ makes sense." 

Kuroo rolled his eyes but mouthed a 'thank you' as Bokuto and Akaashi left to the kitchen. 

Then he carried Kenma over to the couch and gently placed Kenma next to him. "Hey, it's okay. They're gone now." 

Kenma just stared down at his hands. 

"You're gonna have to get used to them being around." Kuroo continued. "They won't hurt you either." 

When Kenma didn't say anything, Kuroo kept talking. "Bo's big and loud, but he's a nice guy, he just gets excited. And Akaashi might seem quiet and mean, but I promise he's really sweet once you get to know him." 

Kuroo frowned because _again_ Kenma didn't say anything. 

Was that normal behavior for a three year old? 

He didn't know. 

"Kuroo." Akaashi said from the kitchen. "Can you come in here for a moment?" 

Kuroo glanced at Kenma, who started looking up at him when Akaashi started speaking. 

"I'm just going to the kitchen." Kuroo said. 

He pointed at the doorway. "It's right through there, okay?” 

He turned on the tv with a quick click of the remote and started scrolling through the channels until he found a kid-friendly network. “Just watch tv. I'll be right back." 

He tentatively stood up from the couch and made his way out of the room, but luckily Kenma didn’t react.

Kuroo was sitting at the kitchen table, Akaashi and Bokuto standing by like angry parents.

"Kuroo," Akaashi started. "What the _hell_ were you thinking?" 

"Where did you get a kid?" Bokuto asked. 

Kuroo explained everything, up until bringing Kenma back to the apartment. 

"But when I mentioned his parents, he got all freaked out." Kuroo finished. "He didn't want to go home." 

"Maybe he's been abused." Akaashi said. 

"Oh god, I hope not." 

"Well he's only three." Bokuto started. "Would he even remember that sort of thing?" 

Akaashi and Bokuto were sitting down with Kuroo now, not nearly as upset as they had been before the explanation.

"I mean, he's a smart kid." Kuroo replied. "He didn't take any food from me until I ate some first." 

"Regardless, what you _need_ to do is bring him to the police station." Akaashi said. 

"But-"

"Kuroo, this isn't debatable." 

"They'll take him away, though." Kuroo said with a frown. "He's just a scared kid and he's too young to be thrown into the system like that." 

Bokuto leaned back in his chair. "I hate to be a buzzkill, but I'm with 'Kaashi. You can't take care of a kid." 

"Why not?" 

"Dude, you've spent the last week surviving off of Red Bull and Hot Pockets." 

Kuroo sighed. "I _know_ that I have to do it. I just... he'll be alone."

"He barely trusts you." Akaashi started. 

"Well, it's kind of hard to tell." Bokuto said. "He doesn't talk much." 

"That's another issue." Akaashi added. "That doesn't seem normal." 

"Look, I'll take him, okay?" Kuroo replied. "Just... give me a little time. Did you guys order the pizza?" 

The three college students spent the time before the pizza arrived slowly trying to integrate themselves into the living room. 

Kuroo had it the easiest, sliding back onto the couch next to Kenma with no trouble from the boy. 

Akaashi went next, and simply climbed into the lounge chair with his book. 

Kenma had tensed up when the teen walked into the room, but relaxed after a few minutes when Akaashi didn't even try to look at him. 

Bokuto, definitely the most nervous of the three, sat on the floor in front of Akaashi's chair, eyes glued to the tv. 

It took every ounce of self control he had to not look at Kenma, but it seemed to work- Kenma remained the same as he had been when it was just Kuroo around (which, to be fair, still wasn't very relaxed). 

When the pizza arrived Kuroo led him to the table. 

"Okay, which piece do you want? Plain or pepperoni?" 

Kenma pointed to the plain side so Kuroo grabbed him a slice. 

Akaashi and Bokuto were quietly eating at the kitchen island, simply observing. 

They didn't want to scare Kenma, so they weren't even speaking.

However, after watching Kenma struggle for a few seconds with what was a monster-sized slice of pizza, Akaashi stepped forward. 

"Kenma?" He started quietly. "Can I help you?" 

Kenma tensed again as Akaashi reached for his plate, and for a moment he looked like he was going to cry. 

"I'm not taking it away." Akaashi said. "I'm just trying to make it easier for you." 

He sliced the pizza down the middle so that it was two smaller pieces, and slid the plate back over to Kenma. "Okay?" 

Kenma hesitantly picked up one of the slices and took a bite. 

It was much easier for him to eat now, and he looked at Akaashi. 

Akaashi smiled at him, nodded, and went back to eat his own pizza. 

Bokuto frowned at Akaashi as he walked back over. 

"He didn't even say thanks." He whispered.

"I wasn't doing it to get a thank you." Akaashi said. "I'm just trying to show him that we're on his side." 

"Does that actually work?" 

It turned out that _does_ actually work. 

When they'd all finished and headed back to their original spots watching tv, Kenma got off the couch after a few minutes and walked over to Akaashi's chair.

Bokuto had been sitting on the floor in front of the couch this time, and he quietly gasped when Kenma approached Akaashi. 

Akaashi looked away from his book and smiled.

"Do you need something, Kenma?" He asked. 

Kenma pointed at the book Akaashi was reading. 

"My book? It's called History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera." 

Then Kenma did something that shocked all three of them. 

He climbed up the chair and into Akaashi's lap. 

Akaashi just adjusted his position to accommodate the child, and Kenma cuddled his head to Akaashi's chest.

He pointed at the book again. 

"Do you want me to read to you?" Akaashi asked. 

Kenma nodded. 

"Okay." 

Akaashi took a moment to find his place, and then started speaking softly. 

"People are complicated puzzles, always trying to piece together a complete picture. But sometimes we get it wrong and sometimes we're left unfinished. Sometimes that's for the best. Some pieces can't be forced into a puzzle, or at least they shouldn't be, because they won't make sense..." 

Akaashi continued to read the novel, and it didn't seem to matter that Kenma didn't understand most of it. 

He just seemed content to listen to the sound of Akaashi's voice. 

He closed his eyes and gave a heavy sigh after a few minutes, but Akaashi continued reading. 

It only took ten more minutes for Akaashi's reading to slow down, and then he unintentionally settled in for the nap he had tried to take on Bokuto just over an hour earlier. 

Only this time, _Akaashi_ was the one with someone on his chest.

Kuroo immediately noticed when Akaashi fell asleep, and he softened at the sight. 

Quietly, he nudged Bokuto with his foot. "Look, Bo." 

Bokuto absolutely _melted_ at the sight of his boyfriend cuddling Kenma. 

He had to put his hands over his mouth to keep from squealing and ruining the moment.

"That's so cute." He stage-whispered. "I think I'm actually going to die." 

Kuroo chuckled and took a picture with his phone, smiling at the image fondly. 

His smile faltered after a moment, and he opened the phone app. 

Kenma deserved to be with his parents, or at least Kuroo needed to know what was going on with them. 

It would be selfish to make the boy wait any longer. 

With a sigh, Kuroo typed in the number for the police station and hit the call button.


	2. Appointments and Temporary Custody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo fills out a statement at the police station, Kenma gets checked out by a doctor, and Bokuto practically stops existing.

The police showed up at the small apartment an hour later.

Akaashi was the one to open the door, as Kuroo had Kenma settled in his lap. 

The younger teen let the police officers in with a quick bow, and their eyes immediately fell to Kenma. 

The boy hid into Kuroo's chest when he saw the cops. 

Despite this, one of the officers approached the couch and kneeled down on the floor. 

"Hi there," the policeman said with a smile. "My name is Shouta. Can you tell me your name?" 

Kenma said nothing. 

"Can you tell me how old you are?" 

Again, no response. 

Kuroo frowned, and he placed a hand on the boy's back. "Kenma, it's okay. Talk to the nice officer." 

Kenma shook his head. 

"Why not?" 

The police officer looked up at Kuroo. "It's okay, we deal with shy kids a lot. You said his name was Kenma? Is that his last name or his first name?" 

"His first name I think." Kuroo replied, keeping Kenma close. "And he told me he was three, but that's all I could get out of him. He doesn't talk much." 

"Well if you'd like you can come with us to the station and fill out a statement. I also think it's a good idea to get Kenma checked out by a pediatrician and possibly a psychologist." 

"I don't want to leave him." Kuroo admitted. 

"One of your friends could go with him to the hospital, but in order to get things moving and help find his parents you'll need to come with us and fill out the paperwork." 

Kuroo sighed and looked down at Kenma. 

"Can you give us a moment?" 

The officer stood. "We'll be waiting in the hallway." 

With the police out of the room, Kuroo sat Kenma next to him on the couch. 

"The cops only want to help, you know." He said. "You can talk to them, they won't hurt you." 

Kenma shook his head, and Kuroo sighed. 

"I have to go with them, and you have to go to the doctor with Akaashi. Is that okay?" 

Kenma looked up at Kuroo, eyes wide. 

"You." He whispered. 

"I'll only be gone for a little while." Kuroo said. "You and Akaashi are gonna go get a check up, okay? They might even give you some candy after." 

Kenma frowned and clung to Kuroo's neck. 

"You." He said again. 

"Akaashi's gonna take real good care of you, I promise." 

Akaashi walked over to the two, and Kenma whined when Kuroo passed him over.

Still, he clung to Akaashi just as tightly as he clung to Kuroo, and Akaashi started rubbing the boy's back. 

"It's okay," He started. "We'll be back soon." 

The doctor's office was scary to Kenma. 

He wouldn't let Akaashi put him down even when they were led into the exam room. 

The pediatrician was a smiling young woman, and she didn't seem at all phased by Kenma's clinginess. 

"Hi Kenma, my name is Doctor Ashido. We just have to run a few tests to make sure you're healthy, okay? It won't hurt at all, I promise." 

Kenma, as usual, didn't reply, but Doctor Ashido continued without a hitch, this time looking at Akaashi. "I'm not gonna make you put him into a hospital gown, but can you take off his shoes and hoodie so he can stand on the scale?" 

Akaashi nodded and positioned Kenma so he was sitting on the edge of the exam table, and moved back so he was forced to take his arms from around his neck. 

"Hey, Kenma?" He started, unzipping the child's sweater. "It's time for the check up, okay?" 

Kenma shook his head. 

"Nobody's gonna hurt you. No shots, no needles." 

Akaashi started untying Kenma's shoes. "We'll start off small. Just come stand over here with me." 

Once his shoes were off he guided Kenma down to the floor, and held his hand as he stepped up onto the scale. 

"Good," Doctor Ashido said with a smile. "I'm just gonna move this bar down to the top of your head." 

She finished the scale measurements quickly and allowed Akaashi to put Kenma back up on the exam table. 

"He's a little underweight and a little small for his age, but his proportions are within the normal range." Doctor Ashido explained. "Now I'll need to check his temperature." 

Kenma tightly gripped Akaashi's hand for the whole examination. 

There were a few things Kenma wouldn't do unless Akaashi did them first, like get his blood pressure checked and let the doctor put the tongue depressor in his mouth, but overall it went smoothly.

When the testing was finished, Doctor Ashido smiled at Kenma. "You did so, so good." 

She walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a glass jar, placing it on the counter.

"Now I'm gonna leave this jar of lollipops right here while we wait for Doctor Michi to come in and ask you some questions, okay?" 

Akaashi smiled at her. "Thank you." 

"No problem." 

As soon as the doctor left the room, Akaashi brought over the jar of lollipops. "Do you want one?" 

Kenma carefully studied the jar, then reached inside and picked out a red lollipop. 

"You did good. Soon we'll be back with Kuroo." 

Akaashi turned to put the jar back on the counter, but Kenma grabbed his arm.

"What is it?" 

Kenma held the lollipop out. 

"Oh, sorry." 

Akaashi opened the lollipop and tried to hand it back to Kenma, but the boy pushed his arm back towards his body. 

"What, you don't want it?" 

"You." Kenma said quietly. 

"Me?" 

Kenma nodded and pushed Akaashi's hand back to him again, then reached into the jar and pulled out a green lollipop. 

He opened it up and stuck it into his mouth without a second thought, and Akaashi smiled before starting to eat his own. 

"I don't know." 

"His date of birth?" 

"I told you, all he said to me was Kenma, and then he held up three fingers when I asked how old he was." 

"Sir, we're not going to get this finished if you continue to be difficult. I understand that it's frustrating, but this is standard procedure-"

"What's gonna happen to him when we're done here?" 

The police officer frowned. "I already told you, if we find his parents then we'll contact Child Protection and conduct an investigation." 

"I know that, but what happens after?” Kuroo asked, running a hand through his hair. “If you can't find his parents, or it turns out they're abusive or something?" 

"He'll probably be put into an orphanage." 

"I can't let that happen." 

"There's still a chance that his parents are suitable and he just managed to slip away from them." The police officer said. "He still has a while before he gets put into the system. For now we're granting you temporary custody until we find his closest relatives."

"So if you don't find them, could I-?" 

"There are a lot of unanswered questions right now." The officer interrupted. "But the sooner we get this paperwork done, the sooner you can get back to him. So let's just file this report, okay?" 

Kuroo gave a heavy sigh. "Yeah, okay." 

Back at the doctor's office, Kenma and Akaashi were speaking with the psychologist. 

Or rather, Akaashi was watching as the psychologist talked at Kenma. 

Kenma was actually being compliant, and though he still wasn't speaking, he _would_ respond. 

"Okay Kenma," Doctor Michi said. "You've been doing good. Now can you point at which person would be you?" 

Kenma studied the picture in front of him- a cartoony drawing of a happy family- and pointed at the boy in the picture. 

Doctor Michi smiled. "Okay, good. That's Kenma. Now what about the other kids? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" 

Kenma shook his head. 

"Okay, which one is your daddy?" 

Kenma frowned, then shook his head again. 

"No?" Doctor Michi started. "You don't have a daddy? What about a mommy?" 

Kenma pointed at the woman in the drawing. 

"Is your mommy nice?" 

Kenma hesitated and turned away from the picture, and the doctor frowned. 

"Are you scared of your mommy?" 

No response. 

"Does your mommy hurt you?" 

At this question Kenma's eyes welled up with tears, and he moved to cling to Akaashi.

Akaashi allowed Kenma to climb into his lap and wrapped an arm around him.

"Okay, okay." Doctor Michi said. "That's okay. You did really well, Kenma." 

She looked to Akaashi. "Mentally, he's perfectly fine. Actually, he's exceptionally smart for three years old." 

"But, that last question..." Akaashi started. "His mom." 

Doctor Michi sighed. "Yes, from that end things aren't looking so good. It's possible she was neglectful or maybe even abusive." 

"Poor kid. Kuroo's gonna be crushed." 

"There's something else." 

Akaashi furrowed his brow. 

"Given his situation, it's understandable that he would be shy and unwilling to open up. However, he's showing signs consistent with selective mutism." 

Kuroo frowned the same way Akaashi had when he'd first heard it. "Selective mutism?" 

"Yeah," Akaashi said into the phone. "She said he has a majority of the symptoms." 

"Like what?" 

"Avoiding eye contact, clinginess, whispering and gesturing instead of speaking... there's some more on the information sheets she gave me but luckily we haven't had to deal with those yet. They want us to bring him in for speech therapy twice a week starting Monday." 

"Poor kid." Kuroo said. "Where are you guys now?"

"In a taxi on the way back to campus." Akaashi replied. 

He looked down at where Kenma was curled up to him and sighed. "I can't believe they're giving you temporary custody." 

"Would you rather he sit in an orphanage until they can find his mom?" Kuroo questioned. "Who was probably neglectful and possibly abusive?" 

"No," Akaashi started, "But come on. You've never taken care of a kid before." 

"How hard could it be?" 

Crying. 

Neverending crying. 

"Kenma, you gotta work with me here, buddy." Kuroo started. "I don't know what you want."

The crying wasn't loud, but it was definitely scary for our three new caretakers. 

It seemed like everything had been going fine, Kenma contentedly watching tv, when suddenly the child had burst into tears. 

Kuroo took him up in his arms immediately and was now walking around trying to calm him, but nothing was working. 

"I don't get it." Bokuto groaned. "What could he possibly be crying about it?" 

"I don't know, Bo." Kuroo said. 

"Is he hungry?" 

"I don't know." 

"Tired?" 

"I _don't_ know." 

"Does he have to be changed?" 

"Would you shut up already?" 

"Guys, calm down." Akaashi interrupted. "There could be a million things wrong, or there could be nothing wrong." 

"What do you mean?" Kuroo asked. "Why would he be crying if nothing's wrong?" 

"It was a symptom on the list the doctor gave me. Kids with selective mutism can have mood swings and crying spells." 

"Well that's just perfect." 

"Or he could just be overwhelmed right now." Akaashi continued. "The point is, nothing will get accomplished if you and Bokuto start fighting." 

"So what do I do then?" 

"Just sit down with him." Akaashi instructed. "It's been a long day." 

Kuroo sat down in the lounge chair with Kenma and started rubbing his back, though the crying didn't cease. 

"Come on, Kenma." Kuroo started. "It's only the first night." 

Bokuto frowned. "What time do little kids go to sleep?" 

Kuroo didn't respond, he just moved his hand from Kenma's back to running it through his hair. 

Luckily, this seemed to help, and Kenma started calming down.

Although Kuroo had to shush him a few more times, the crying stopped after a few minutes. 

For a moment Kuroo was scared to let go, afraid that Kenma would start crying again. 

Bokuto, however, seemed to have no such qualms.

He let out a relieved sigh. "That wasn't so bad. At least he's not a loud crier." 

"That was nowhere near the worst symptom on the list." Akaashi replied, his arms crossed. "Honestly, it'll probably only get worse." 

"Well what other-"

Then Bokuto's phone was ringing, cutting the conversation short. 

Bokuto frowned and answered his phone, taking the call to the other room. 

At the same time, Kenma pushed away from Kuroo and stood up. 

He started fiddling with the bottom of his t-shirt, and then lightly bouncing in place.

"What's up, Kenma?" Kuroo asked.

Then the boy started crossing his legs, and Akaashi frowned. "Uh Kuroo, I think he has to..." 

Kuroo immediately put his hands up, eyes wide. "I'm not trained for this." 

"Well you better hope that _he_ is." Akaashi said. "You're the one who wanted temporary custody." 

Kuroo sighed and bent down to Kenma's height. "Kenma, do you have to go to the bathroom?" 

Kenma nodded.

"Do you... need help?" 

Kenma shook his head, and Kuroo let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Okay, come on then." 

Once that was taken care of, Kenma started yawning and rubbing his eyes, and Kuroo decided it was time for bed. 

"Nine is a good time to put him to bed, right?" 

"It probably should have been a lot earlier." Akaashi replied. "Is he gonna sleep with you?" 

"I guess so." Kuroo said, picking Kenma up. "We don't have any pajamas for him." 

"Well the police said he'll be here for at least a couple days, so we can buy him a couple outfits tomorrow." 

"I guess he's sleeping in a t-shirt and jeans then." 

Kenma yawned against Kuroo's neck, and Kuroo smiled. "Alright, alright. Let's get you to bed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love a good exposition chapter. I know this one was a little bit shorter but we’re still getting into the swing of things. Kudos and comments are always appreciated and I hope you enjoyed!


	3. A Freakout About Sausage and Socks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picky eating at breakfast, Kenma and Kuroo go shopping, and Bokuto’s emo mode.

Kuroo turned over in bed the next morning to see Kenma still curled up next to him, sleeping soundly.

Taking his arm out from under the warm blankets, Kuroo reached for his phone.

He checked it and saw that it was just past eight, so Kuroo stood up and stretched. 

After popping his shoulders he walked out of the room, making sure to leave the door open. 

In the kitchen, Akaashi was nursing a mug of coffee. 

"Good morning." Kuroo greeted. 

"Good morning. How's Kenma?" 

"He's asleep."

Akaashi gave a curt nod. "We'll have to go to the mall and buy him some clothes today, and we should probably buy some groceries too. We can't get by feeding him prepackaged ramen every day." 

"We can go after breakfast, hopefully it won't be too busy." 

Kuroo gave a wide yawn before continuing. "Can you keep an eye on him while I shower really quick?" 

"Of course." 

Only three minutes after Kuroo got into the shower, Kenma came toddling into the kitchen, sleepily rubbing his eyes. 

"Good morning, Kenma." Akaashi greeted. 

Kenma glanced up, eyes widening as he started looking around the room for Kuroo. 

Akaashi picked up on the growing panic immediately. 

"Kuroo's just taking a shower, he'll be out in a few minutes. Are you hungry?" 

Kenma hesitated but nodded, and Akaashi started looking through the fridge and cabinets. 

He started pulling out ingredients- eggs, some American french toast sticks, oatmeal, and sausage- when Bokuto walked into the kitchen. 

He clearly had just gotten out of bed, his hair mussed and only wearing pajama bottoms, but he still was as energetic as ever.

"Hey, hey, hey 'Kaashi!" He exclaimed. "Good morning!" 

Akaashi said 'good morning' back and continued his work of preparing breakfast. 

Bokuto's eyes fell to Kenma, and he smiled. 

"Hey little man! How was your first night?" 

Kenma whimpered and moved over to Akaashi, grabbing onto his leg. 

"Bokuto," Akaashi chastised. "He's shy, remember? You have to calm down around him." 

Bokuto frowned. "Oh yeah, sorry." 

"It's alright." Akaashi said, giving Bokuto a peck on the cheek. "Just be more careful." 

When Kuroo finally emerged from the shower, breakfast was practically done. 

Akaashi was spooning food onto plates, and Bokuto sat at the kitchen island. 

Kenma was sitting at their small table, sipping a glass of apple juice through a straw. 

"Hey Kenma," Kuroo greeted. "How did you sleep?" 

Like usual, Kenma didn't respond, but Kuroo didn't miss a beat. "We're gonna go shopping today and get you some more clothes, does that sound okay?" 

Akaashi walked over with two plates of food, one with Kuroo-sized portions and one with child-sized portions. 

Kuroo bowed to Akaashi as he placed the dish in front of him. "Thank you for the food." 

Kenma started at Kuroo quizzically, and the older smiled. 

"Here." 

He gently moved Kenma's hands to the proper position, then did the same with his own. 

"And then we bow." 

Kuroo bowed, and grinned when Kenma did the same. "Good job." 

Breakfast was a peaceful affair, the college students having light conversation throughout the meal. 

Kuroo kept periodically wiping food off of Kenma's face with a napkin, and Akaashi had to do the same for Bokuto. 

When they were almost finished, Kuroo looked down to Kenma's plate and was surprised that he'd only eaten about half of what was on it. 

"Kenma, why don't you eat some of your sausage or your oatmeal?" 

Kenma started idly playing with his oatmeal, moving it around, and Kuroo frowned.

"You don't want it?" 

And then Kenma started crying softly. 

Kuroo's eyes widened, and he was completely lost. 

Bokuto frowned when he heard the crying start, turning away from his conversation with Akaashi. "Dude, what did you say to him?"

"I didn't say anything! Maybe it's another crying spell?"

Akaashi looked at Kenma's plate, then walked over to the boy. "Kenma, you don't like the oatmeal or the sausage?" 

He waited for a moment, but Kenma didn't even shake his head. 

"You don't have to eat anything that you don't want to." Akaashi continued. 

Then, just to prove the point, he took Kenma's plate and moved it away, giving him a new, empty one.

Kenma looked up, then wiped at his eyes. 

"Do you want more french toast sticks, or eggs? Or are you all done?" 

Kenma pointed at Kuroo's french toast sticks. 

Akaashi nodded, then put some more cut up french toast sticks on Kenma's plate. 

Kenma started eating them, and Kuroo looked to Akaashi. "How is it that you always know what to do?" 

"Picky eating was one of the symptoms." Akaashi replied. 

"I need to read that list."

After breakfast, Akaashi and Bokuto headed off to the grocery store while Kuroo entered the mall in search of a kid's clothing store. 

He entered the first kid's store he saw- a brightly colored shop with all kinds of clothes- and immediately realized that he had no idea what he was doing. 

The sizes weren't listed in what he was expecting- small, medium, large- they were categorized by 2T-5T. 

Kuroo figured that Kenma would be a 3T, deciding that the three was for three years old, and got to work. 

He started out by grabbing a pack of underwear and a pack of socks, and then he moved on to the racks of shirts. 

"I guess we'll get seven." He said aloud. "One outfit for every day of the week?" 

Satisfied with his logic, Kuroo started looking through the shirts for ones that he thought suited Kenma. 

He picked out a black one that had a blue, green, and purple planet on it, a red one with a robot on it, a plain purple long-sleeve, and a white and blue baseball-style one before presenting the shirts to the boy. 

"What do you think? You like them?" 

Kenma nodded, and then looked back towards the rack. 

"Do you see any you like?" Kuroo asked. "You can pick some out for yourself." 

Kenma walked over and pulled out a blue shirt with a video-game dragon on it. 

He held it up to Kuroo, who smiled. "Sure thing, bud. Any other ones?" 

Kenma pointed at a green Pokémon shirt, and then a gray long-sleeve with a white cat in the corner. 

"Awesome, those are good." Kuroo said, putting the shirts into the basket. "Okay, pants next." 

Kuroo had noticed that Kenma's jeans had an elastic waistband on them, so he figured that was a good baseline for the other pants he would buy. 

He got Kenma both blue jeans and black jeans, and then a pair of dark gray joggers. 

He let Kenma pick out some pajama sets, and even a pair of space-themed feetie pajamas, before going on to the shoe section. 

Kenma wanted a pair of rubber-toe Converse sneakers, and Kuroo picked out another hoodie before finally heading to the checkout. 

He ignored that he just spent nearly ten thousand yen on kid's clothes and brought Kenma into a changing room. 

Then he held the shopping bag out to Kenma. "Which shirt do you want to wear?" 

Kenma studied the bag for a moment before pulling out the planet shirt. 

Kuroo then dressed him in an entirely new outfit, putting his old clothes into a separate bag to be washed. 

He sat Kenma down on the bench once he had the outfit put together and opened up the socks. 

He pulled one sock onto Kenma's foot, but was caught off guard when the boy scrunched up his nose and started trying to pull it off with his other foot. 

"What are you doing?" Kuroo asked. "You have to wear socks." 

Kenma bent his leg and pulled the sock off of his foot, and Kuroo frowned. 

"You don't like them?" 

Kenma handed the sock back to Kuroo. 

"I'm confused. You were wearing socks all day yesterday and today, so what's the problem now?" 

Kuroo tried putting the sock back on him and Kenma brought his chin down to his chest, his face scrunching like he was about to start crying. 

Kuroo quickly pulled the sock back off. "No! No, don't cry." 

He sighed, unsure of what to do. 

"What's the matter, Kenma? Why don't you want to wear them?" 

Then, like a lightbulb had gone off in his head, Kuroo remembered the symptom list that he'd taken pictures of before they left. 

He pulled out his phone and started reading through it, trying to find something to explain this behavior. 

It was the seventh thing on the list. 

_Sensitivity to Touch (Being bumped by others, hair brushing, clothing tags, etc.)_

Kuroo, relieved that this was normal (or at least _Kenma_ normal) started looking inside the sock to see if there was a tag, but frowned when he didn't see one. 

He started running his fingers along it, trying to see if there was maybe a clip or something from the packaging inside, and that was when he felt it. 

The inseam that runs across the toe of the sock. 

That seemed to be the leading contender for Kenma's discomfort, and luckily Kuroo had an idea for how to fix it. 

He put the sock back on Kenma's foot, but pulled it up so that the seam went across the _top_ of Kenma's toes, rather than the tips. 

He looked up at Kenma. "All better?" 

Kenma nodded, and so Kuroo did the same with the other sock. 

Satisfied that Kenma didn't start crying, Kuroo pulled on his shoes, then led him out of the dressing room. 

"Looking good." Kuroo said with a grin. "Let's go find 'Kaashi and Bokuto." 

Only half an hour later they were back at the apartment, Kenma happily drinking juice from his new sippy cup, courtesy of Akaashi and Bokuto.

They had also picked up a children's dining set, which would make it easier for Kenma to eat. 

The colorful plastic plates and silverware were much more suitable for him.

At the moment, Akaashi, Bokuto, and Kuroo were in the kitchen, putting away groceries. 

Bokuto frowned as he opened up a cabinet to start putting snacks away. "Hey guys, what are we gonna do about tomorrow?" 

"I've been wondering the same thing." Akaashi said. "We can't bring Kenma with us to class." 

"Well, I only have two classes tomorrow." Kuroo replied. "One in the morning and one after lunchtime, two to four." 

"I have class from twelve to two, and then four to six." 

"Perfect!" Kuroo exclaimed. "So you take him in the morning, I'll have him while you're in class around lunch, then you take him back, and then I'm in for the night. We'll just keep switching off." 

"Guys," Bokuto piped up, "What about practice?" 

"Crap, I forgot about that. We have eight to tens all week." 

Akaashi pursed his lips. "Kenma _is_ pretty well behaved. Maybe we can take him with us?" 

"We won't be able to pay attention to him though." Kuroo replied. "And if we _do_ pay attention then we won't get any volleyball stuff done." 

"I don't think it'll be a problem. We can let him sit on the bleachers and ask one of the managers to keep an eye on him." 

"Okay, I guess that'll work." 

"Let's hope so."

That night after dinner, Kuroo dozed off on the couch while holding Kenma. 

Akaashi walked in on the scene to find Bokuto watching them from the lounge chair.

The tips of his hair were drooping, and that could only mean one thing.

"Bokuto, what are you doing?"

"Kenma doesn't like me." 

Akaashi sighed. "He's just a shy kid." 

"But he likes Kuroo. And he likes you. Why doesn't he like _me_?" 

Akaashi mentally added this situation to Bokuto's list. 

_Cause #86 for Emo Mode: Not being liked by someone._

He walked over to his boyfriend and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're just a little loud for him, that's all. You're eccentric and excitable, and he's just not used to it yet." 

"I _try_ to be calm, but it's no fun." 

"You don't need to change yourself, Bokuto. Just give Kenma some time." 

"How long?" 

Akaashi didn't want to tell him that Kenma would probably be gone before he got a chance to warm up to him. 

Instead, he walked over to Kuroo and lightly shook his shoulder. "Kuroo, wake up. You can't sleep on the couch, your muscles will be tight tomorrow." 

Kuroo's eyes opened, and he blearily blinked at Akaashi. 

The younger just helped him sit up. "Come on, take Kenma to bed. We all need to get some rest."


	4. Reading Is A Speech Therapists’ Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenma accompanies Bokuto, Kuroo, and Akaashi to volleyball practice, then has his first appointment at speech therapy.

Walking into volleyball practice with a kid was definitely something they should have warned the coach about beforehand. 

Unfortunately, it had slipped all their minds until the head coach was walking in, staring at the child in Kuroo's arms. 

"Tetsurou, why do you have a kid?" 

"Coach! Hey! Uh... this is Kenma, sir." 

"Did you manage to have a two year old since Friday?" 

"No, sir." Kuroo replied. "It's a... unique situation, but the police have given me temporary custody of him. Would it be alright if he just sits on the bench and watches? He won't be a distraction, I swear." 

"Will he even be capable of sitting still for the whole two hours?" 

"He's well behaved, sir. If I tell him not to move, he'll listen." 

The coach sighed. "If he doesn't listen and gets himself hurt, he's _your_ responsibility." 

Kuroo bowed. "Thank you, sir." 

He brought Kenma over to the bleachers and sat him down on a level high enough to where he wasn't at risk of being hit by the ball. 

"Kenma, this is volleyball practice, okay? Remember we talked about it?" 

Kenma nodded. 

"Akaashi, Bokuto, and I are gonna be running around down there, but you have to sit here so you don't get hurt." 

He shouldered off the drawstring bag that was on his back and placed it next to Kenma. 

"Your juice and your snack are in here, okay? And I'm gonna check up on you during my breaks." 

"Let's go, Kuroo!" The captain called. "Warm ups are starting!" 

"I'll be back soon." Kuroo said to Kenma. "Okay?" 

Kenma nodded. "Okay."

Kuroo couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he jogged onto the court. 

He loved it when he got Kenma to talk.

Kenma watched the whole practice, contentedly munching on his apple slices and grapes as he followed the ball around with his eyes.

Kuroo kept his word and spent his breaks sitting with him, but Kenma didn't have any issues the whole time. 

In fact, he even seemed to be enjoying himself. 

When practice finally finished, Kuroo's coach put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, you proved me wrong, Tetsurou. Kenma was a perfectly fine spectator, and he's welcome back anytime." 

"Thanks, Coach." Kuroo replied. 

"With the way his eyes tracked that ball, I don't doubt that he'll be a fine volleyball player someday." 

Kuroo nodded, but frowned at the coach's comment. 

He wanted Kenma to stay little as long as possible. 

Kenma spent his day in the apartment as Kuroo and Akaashi kept swapping off being his caretaker. 

When it hit four in the afternoon and Kuroo had finally finished classes for the day, it was time to bring Kenma to speech therapy. 

The area for pediatric speech therapy had a very different atmosphere compared to the rest of the hospital. 

The room that Kuroo was shown into had plush carpeting, colorful walls, and was full of toys. 

There were couches and soft chairs instead of exam tables, and even a beanbag chair in the corner. 

On the wall there was a flat screen tv, and below it was a bookshelf filled with kid's books. 

If Kuroo had to be honest, it looked like a pre-school. 

As they walked in, the teen immediately noticed Kenma eyeing the toys, but the toddler sat in one of the chairs instead.

"You can play with them if you want." Kuroo said. "You're allowed." 

Kenma looked at Kuroo and then back at the toys, then got up and started looking around. 

He went for the building blocks first, and had crafted himself a sizeable tower before the therapist walked in. 

She was a young woman with short black hair, friendly eyes, and a kind smile. 

As soon as the door opened Kenma abandoned his structure and went to go sit in Kuroo's lap. 

"Hello there," the therapist greeted. "You can keep playing, don't mind me." 

Kenma didn't move, but the therapist smiled. 

"You must be Kenma. My name is Doctor Sato, but you can call me Kaiya. We're just here to play for a little while, okay?" 

She looked over to the blocks. "That's a big tower you made there. Did you do that all by yourself?" 

Kuroo frowned when Kenma kept himself turned in to his chest, and the teen moved to sit on the floor. 

"Come on Kenma, let's play. Can you help me make my own tower?" 

Kenma hesitated, but uncurled himself from Kuroo's chest and handed him the top block off of his tower. 

Kuroo accepted it with a smile. 

"You're good at sharing, Kenma." Kaiya said. "While Kuroo does that, let's play a different game, okay?" 

She grabbed a basket of small plastic balls and dumped it out onto the floor. 

Then she placed different colored plastic rings in front of them.

"This is a sorting game. Can you hand me a red ball please?" 

Kenma didn't move, so Kaiya changed her approach. 

"Would you rather play with Kuroo instead?" 

Kuroo shared a look with the doctor, then shifted so he was across from Kenma. "Do you know which ball is the red one, Kenma?" 

Kenma kept his eyes down but pushed a red ball in Kuroo's direction. 

"Good job!" Kuroo exclaimed. "We're gonna put the red ball into the red circle." 

Kuroo did so, then looked back at Kenma. "What about blue? Can you put the blue ball in the blue circle?" 

Kenma raised his head a little so he could search for the ball. 

Once he found it, he put it into the corresponding circle. 

"Awesome!" 

Kenma sorted the rest of the balls without being prompted, and Kaiya smiled. 

"That's great!" She exclaimed. 

She picked up the basket. "Can you help me clean up?" 

Kenma paused for a moment, wary of having to interact with the woman, but started putting the balls back into the basket.

Once they were all put away, Kaiya looked to Kenma. "We're gonna do another warm up, okay? Why don't you go over to the bookshelf and pick out a book?" 

Kenma didn't hesitate on this one, and Kuroo smiled. 

Maybe he should get Akaashi to read to him more. 

Kenma walked back over to Kaiya and held out his book choice. 

"Ah, The Cat in the Hat." Kaiya started. "This is one of my favorites. Can you point to the word 'cat' for me?" 

Kenma did so, and Kuroo's eyes widened. 

Kenma could read? 

"Good," Kaiya said. "How about 'hat'?" 

Kenma pointed. 

"Play?" 

"Day?" 

"Ball?" 

"All?" 

Kenma pointed at each word, and Kuroo's jaw dropped. 

He looked to Kaiya. "Is that... normal for three years old?" 

"Not typically, but I have a hunch for why he's able to do it." 

She turned back to Kenma. 

"Kenma, do you go to school?" 

Kenma still didn't meet her eye, but he nodded. 

"How can he go to school if he's only three years old?" Kuroo asked.

"He could be enrolled in daycare, or even preschool if he has a late birthday." Kaiya explained. 

She handed the book to Kenma. "Can you put this back for me, please? We're going to do some speech exercises now." 

Unfortunately Kenma didn't make much progress when it came to talking, but Kuroo didn't mind. 

He was too eager to get home and tell Bokuto and Akaashi about what he had learned. 

Kenma was _way_ smarter than they thought he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the late update today. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I feel like this is a good time to mention something about Kenma. 
> 
> Selective mutism isn’t a development delay or a learning disability. It’s a social anxiety disorder. 
> 
> His behavior in this chapter reflects that- there’s nothing wrong with his cognitive ability and he’s an exceptionally smart kid. 
> 
> That’s all I wanted to say, please leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed!


	5. Bokuto The Babysitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drama? Here? Nooooo, this is a happy wholesome story about baby Kenma. No angst or fighting here... none at all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might wanna buckle up, this one... this one’s a rollercoaster.
> 
> I apologize in advance for the emotional dive this story is about to take.

Two days later, Akaashi woke up at two in the morning with a headache.

He had frowned and tried to go back to sleep, but his head was absolutely _killing_ him. 

Hesitantly, he pulled himself away from Bokuto's chest. 

Bokuto had frowned in his sleep and reached out for him, so Akaashi squeezed his hand tightly. 

"I'll be right back." 

He kissed his forehead quickly before heading into the bathroom to get an aspirin. 

After locating the pill bottle, Akaashi grabbed two capsules and started making his way to the kitchen to get a glass of water. 

As soon as he stepped into the hallway, a faint glow caught his attention. 

He entered the living room to find Kuroo on the couch, typing away at his laptop. 

"Kuroo?" Akaashi started, squinting. "What are you doing up?" 

"Chemistry assignment." Kuroo replied flatly. 

"At two in the morning?" 

"It's due before class, and I'm not gonna have time to do it because of volleyball." 

Akaashi frowned. 

This past week Kuroo had been complaining a lot about his homework and had even said he wasn't very confident on the last few quizzes he'd taken.

And Akaashi had a strong suspicion on why Kuroo was starting to slack off in his classes.

"Why didn't you do it earlier?" He asked.

"I was busy." 

Akaashi's frown turned into a look of frustration, and then a sigh. 

This was _not_ what he wanted to be doing right now.

"Kuroo, I think we need to talk about this whole Kenma situation." 

This made Kuroo pause his typing. "What do you mean?" 

"You know he's not gonna live here forever, right?" 

"Akaashi-"

"I'm serious, Kuroo. Once the police find his mom, whether she was abusive or not, your temporary custody is gonna run out. You shouldn't get too attached-"

"Stop talking about him like that." 

Kuroo stood up, glaring. "He's not a dog." 

"Well he's not your kid, either. No matter what they find in the investigation, they're gonna take him away and you’ll just-"

Akaashi didn't get to finish his sentence because Kuroo had shoved past him, heading towards his room. 

"I don't need to sit here and take this." 

"Kuroo, I'm trying to help you. This is just gonna hurt you in the end!”

"The only one hurting me right now is you."

Kuroo didn't slam the door to his room, but Akaashi could tell that he wanted to. 

Why couldn't he see that Akaashi was only trying to help?

He was getting too close to Kenma, and he couldn't afford to sacrifice his grades for a kid who would be gone in a few days. 

College was hard. 

Once you start falling behind it takes a lot of struggling to get back up again.

Akaashi sighed, and swallowed his aspirin dry. 

He just wanted to go back to sleep. 

The whole exchange the previous night had only lasted five minutes, but there was a dramatic shift in the house's dynamic. 

Akaashi and Kuroo weren’t on speaking terms, though the latter had a much angrier vibe about him.

Kuroo would barely look at Akaashi, but the younger spent almost all of his time looking at Kuroo in earnest. 

Bokuto was frustrated with the whole ordeal, but not for the reason one may think. 

At this point in time he didn’t know anything about the fight, he just thought his boyfriend should be looking at _him_ and not Kuroo.

At the moment though, Bokuto was even more frustrated about something else. 

"Kuroo, he doesn't like me!" 

"That's ridiculous, Bo. Of course he likes you." 

"He hasn't said a single word to me! He barely even _looks_ at me." 

Kuroo sighed and looked to Kenma, who was eating his breakfast without concern despite the tense energy in the house.

"Kenma, you have to stay with Bokuto today, okay?" 

Kenma simply looked up, shook his head, and went back to eating his breakfast. 

Bokuto threw his arms up in defeat, and Kuroo chuckled.

"I have to go to a lot of classes today, but Bokuto will take good care of you, I promise." 

Kenma didn’t say anything as usual, but Kuroo looked to Bokuto and gestured to Kenma. 

Bokuto sighed and bent down so he was on Kenma's level, then spoke as softly as he could. "Hey, Kenma. I know you don't like me very much, but I think we can be good friends. You don't have to be scared of me." 

"I'll come back really soon." Kuroo added. "Be good for Bokuto, okay?" 

Kenma looked up, apparently understanding that he really _was_ gonna be left alone with Bokuto. 

Then he hesitantly nodded and wrapped his arms around Kuroo. 

Kuroo hugged him back. "See you later, Kenma." 

Bokuto began feeling out of his depth as soon as he and Kenma were left alone in the apartment. 

He'd turned on the tv for Kenma and was now simply watching from afar, wishing that he could find a way to form a connection with him.

The boy didn't seem to want to go near him, and Bokuto didn't want to get too close and make him cry.

When Kenma moved to sit on the floor and started playing with the blocks Kuroo had bought for him, Bokuto took a deep breath and jumped on the chance. 

He entered the living room slowly and sat down in front of the lounge chair. 

"Hey Kenma, can I play with you?" 

The boy didn't respond, but Bokuto started picking up blocks and adding them to Kenma's structure.

Kenma didn't look at Bokuto, but he also didn't object to the action. 

As he built, Bokuto started speaking. 

"I have two older sisters, you know. We used to play with blocks all the time." 

Kenma didn't even spare a glance his way, but Bokuto continued talking. 

"Of course, it was my job as the little brother and knock down anything that they built.” 

He chuckled at the memory. “They'd always get mad and run to tell our mom, but then we’d build an even better house together. I can't imagine what it would've been like if I was an only child like you. Actually... I can't imagine going through _anything_ that you've been through."

Kenma stopped building and looked up at Bokuto. 

"I know it's been hard," Bokuto continued. "But Kuroo, 'Kaashi, and I are gonna try as hard as we can to make things better for you." 

Kenma stood up and walked away, and Bokuto’s already-sad mood took a nosedive straight to depressed.

Maybe Kenma just really didn't like him. 

He supposed he'd have to just accept it, he couldn't force the kid to do anything he didn't want to do. 

You can't be liked by everyone, right? 

Bokuto had shifted his gaze down to the floor, so it wasn't until he felt a small tap on his legs that he realized Kenma was standing over him, holding out a pack of Oreos. 

Bokuto glanced at the snack, then at his phone. 

"Oreos? Now? It's only eleven." 

He contemplated it for a moment, thinking about what Kuroo or Akaashi would say, then shrugged. 

_Somebody_ has to be the fun adult. 

He tore open the package and handed it back to Kenma. 

Then he grabbed his phone, ready to text a long paragraph to Kuroo about how much Kenma hated him, when the blue package was being shoved in his face again.

He looked up, confused. "What? It's already open." 

Kenma shook his head, then grabbed Bokuto's wrist. 

He put the Oreos in the older's hand. 

"You." He whispered. 

Then he sat back down and continued playing with his blocks. 

Bokuto looked at Kenma, then down at the snack.

He broke out into a grin, and for a moment he couldn’t even think, his heart filling with pure joy. 

When he zoned back in he realized his eyes had welled up with tears. 

He wiped at his eyes, then took a cookie out of the package. 

He broke it in half and held it out to Kenma. 

"Here. It's more fun to share, right?" 

Kenma nodded, took the cookie, and started munching on it, and Bokuto had to keep himself from squealing. 

Cue the long paragraph to Kuroo, only this time gushing about how adorable Kenma was and what he would forever call The Oreo Exchange. 

Despite his lingering sourness due to his fight with Akaashi, Kuroo couldn't help but smiling at his phone under his desk as he read through Bokuto's texts again. 

He was glad that Bokuto had finally established a connection with Kenma, but even more so that Kenma had opened up to Bokuto. 

He didn't want to pressure the boy, but he was hoping that soon he'd be comfortable enough to start saying more than one word at a time. 

Maybe even a sentence or two. 

Kuroo practically ran home from his final class of the day- he _hated_ Wednesdays because he was out from ten to five- and burst into the apartment. 

He found Bokuto in the kitchen, stirring a pot of rice. 

"Hey, Bo." Kuroo greeted. "Where's Kenma?" 

"Quick nap before dinner." Bokuto replied. "He's in your bed."

"Not that I couldn't tell from your many, many texts, but how was he?" 

"He was great!" Bokuto grinned. "We played with blocks in the morning and I made him a sandwich for lunch. He had a minor freakout about the tomatoes on it but I made him a new one and it was all good." 

He paused his stirring to grab some seasoning from the cabinet.

"Then after lunch we colored for a while and I kept coloring outside the lines to mess with him." 

Kuroo chuckled because _of course_ Kenma would get worked up about something like that. 

And leave it to Bokuto to bicker with a three year old.

"We watched a movie once we finished coloring," Bokuto continued, "And afterwards he was looking sleepy so I tried to let him nap on the couch but he wanted your bed. I put him down maybe forty five minutes ago."

"How long until dinner?" 

"I'd say twenty minutes." 

Kuroo sat down at the table with a nod, deciding that it was fine to let Kenma sleep until the food was ready. 

Bokuto looked over at his friend, a new subject matter on his mind. "So... why did Akaashi tell me that he'll be eating at the dining hall tonight instead of here?" 

"I don't know." Kuroo shrugged. "Maybe he's sick of your food." 

"This is the first time I've cooked in a month." Bokuto said. "And besides, _dining hall food_? That slop tastes like it came out of a garbage bin." 

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" 

"But I think talking about it is exactly what you and Akaashi-"

That was when Kenma came into the kitchen, still looking like he was half-asleep.

Kuroo smiled and took the easy out. 

"Hey, Kenma! We were gonna let you sleep a little more. Did you have a fun day with Bokuto?" 

Kenma just climbed into Kuroo's lap and nestled his head into his neck, and Kuroo's smile quickly faded. 

Kenma was radiating heat. 

"You feeling alright, buddy?" 

Kenma didn't say anything, as usual, and Kuroo looked up at Bokuto. "He's really warm, Bo." 

"You think he's sick?" 

Then Kenma coughed twice into Kuroo's chest, followed by a wet sniffle. 

"I'll take that as a yes."

Bokuto frowned. "What do we do? We don't have a thermometer or kids' medicine or anything." 

Kenma whimpered and Kuroo felt the collar of his shirt start to get wet. 

He frowned and brought a hand up to Kenma's hair, running his fingers through it. "Hey, hey, don't cry. We're gonna have dinner and then get you laying back down, okay?" 

Kuroo glanced at Bokuto uncertainly.

Oh he was in _so_ over his head. 

Dinner was quiet. 

Kenma barely ate, Kuroo spent the whole time on his phone Googling how to take care of a sick kid, and Bokuto barely looked up from his plate. 

Although that last one may have had to do with Akaashi walking in twenty minutes into the meal and going to the bedroom without even sparing them a glance. 

Kuroo had looked up to Bokuto when Akaashi left the room. "I'm sorry, Bo. I know it's not fair-"

"No," Bokuto interrupted. "It's fine. Just... tell me what I can do to help." 

After dinner Kuroo ran Kenma a warm bath- he'd read that it might help clear up his congestion. 

He was quick but gentle as he cleaned him, now noticing just how flushed the boy was.

Kuroo got him toweled off and into his feetie pajamas as fast as he could to try and keep the boy warm, Kenma's eyes slipping shut the whole time.

Only a few minutes after Kuroo got Kenma into bed, Bokuto lightly knocked on the door. 

"Hey, how's he doing?" 

"Alright I guess." Kuroo shrugged. 

He looked down at where Kenma was curled up next to him and brushed the hair out of his face.

God, Kenma was really burning up.

"Maybe Akaashi's right." Kuroo sighed. "Maybe I'm not responsible enough to take care of him."

Bokuto sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey, don't say that. You're doing a great job." 

"He's only been here for four days and now he's sick!" 

"I don't think you could've prevented this, Kuroo."

"But I don't know how to take care of a sick kid!" 

"Well, it's kind of the same as taking care of yourself when you're sick, isn't it?" Bokuto pondered. "Just like, scaled down?" 

"I guess you could put it that way." 

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. You can't give up now, Kuroo. Kenma needs you."

Kuroo sighed, then nodded.

He repositioned Kenma so his head was on a pillow instead of Kuroo's arm, then stood up. 

"I'm gonna go get children's cough medicine and maybe some soup. Can you watch him for me?" 

"Of course, man."

"If he wakes up and starts to cry, just run your fingers through his hair. It works like a charm." 

The cashier at the grocery store raised an eyebrow at Kuroo's large collection of medicine, soup, and Gatorade. 

"You feeling sick there, hon?" 

Kuroo sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Nah, I have a sick kid at home." 

"First time dad?" 

"Something like that." 

The cashier hummed as she continued scanning the items. "I'm not seeing any Vick's VapoRub here, want me to grab you a jar? It works wonders for clearing congestion." 

"Uh, yeah. Sure." 

"Be right back." 

The cashier left to go get the medicine, so Kuroo pulled out his phone. 

He decided to text Bokuto and check up on Kenma, when suddenly his screen was taken over with an incoming phone call from an unknown number. 

Kuroo frowned and picked up the phone. "Hello?" 

"Mister Tetsurou? This is the Tokyo Police Department. We found Kenma's mother."


	6. The Meltdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You might want to grab some tissues, this one is worse than the last one.

The next day, instead of keeping Kenma in bed and comfortable like he'd originally planned, Kuroo was getting the boy dressed to take him in for questioning. 

Kenma hadn't gotten better since the previous day, and he pouted as Kuroo pulled his hoodie over his head. 

"I know, I know." Kuroo said sympathetically. "But let's just get through this really quick, then we can come back here and watch a movie, okay?" 

Kenma nodded and latched back onto Kuroo in what was apparently his favorite position, nestled into the college student's shoulder.

Kuroo took a moment to feel the boy's forehead, and he frowned.

"I'm gonna have to give you some more medicine before we go." 

When they entered the police station, they were immediately shown into the chief's office. 

Kuroo could feel all of the officer's eyes drilling into his back as he walked through the police station with Kenma in his arms.

He couldn't blame them for being curious- it was a unique situation, after all- but did they have to stare so hard?

When they finally reached the office at the back of the station, Kuroo sat down in a chair with Kenma in his lap. 

He positioned the boy so that he had to look at the chief, and Kenma crossed his arms, clearly unhappy with the situation.

Even so, the police chief smiled. "Hi there, Kenma. Kenma Kozume, right?" 

Kenma just stared back at him. 

"Uh, chief?" Kuroo started. "I'm not sure if anyone told you, but he's been diagnosed with selective mutism. Not to mention he hasn't been feeling well... you won't get much out of him." 

"I know we called it questioning, but given the diagnosis and how young he is, this is really more of an evaluation." The chief replied. "He'll be assessed by a child psychologist in a moment." 

Just then there was a knock at the door. 

"And there she is now." 

A woman walked into the room, smiling at Kenma. "Hi, sweetheart!" 

Kenma turned as much as he could so he wouldn't have to look at the woman, but unfortunately he made eye contact with Kuroo in doing so. 

"Kenma," Kuroo started, "You have to go into another room with the doctor, okay?" 

Kenma shook his head. 

The psychologist's smile never faded. "Oh, don't be scared Kenma. This is a very special room." 

She gestured for Kuroo to follow her, and everyone filed out of the room. 

The woman led them to a back office that was connected to another room by a window. 

"See, look." 

She opened up the blinds so that they could look into both rooms. 

"You'll be able to see Kuroo the whole time, I promise." 

Kuroo walked into one room and sat Kenma down in the chair. 

Then, just to prove the point, he walked into the other room and waved through the window. 

Kenma still looked upset, but he didn't cry when the psychologist walked inside with him and closed the door.

The chief entered the room that Kuroo was in and stood next to him by the observation window.

"So," Kuroo started, now that Kenma couldn't hear him, "Tell me everything you can about his mother."

"So, she _didn't_ abandon him?" Bokuto asked, looking up from his homework. 

Kuroo, who was sitting in the lounge chair, sighed again. "She claims she lost sight of him while they were out shopping."

"Well that's good, isn't it?" 

"No! This is in no way a good thing." 

Bokuto frowned. "Why not?" 

" _Because_ , Bo, it doesn't make any sense. I was nowhere near the mall when I found him, and she says she lost him on Thursday. I found him on Saturday. There's no way he was sitting in that alley for that long."

"So...?" 

"So they haven't even conducted the official investigation yet and already her story is full of holes. Which means his mom probably _was_ neglectful." 

Kuroo ran a hand through his hair. "What's gonna happen to him when they say she's unfit to take care of him? He'll be thrown into an orphanage all by himself." 

"I'm confused. Do you want his mom to take him back or not?" 

"I don't know." Kuroo said defeatedly. "I just... don't want him to have to go through any of that." 

Bokuto stood, pulling his bookbag over his shoulder. "I gotta head to class, I'll see you and Kenma later." 

Later that evening, Kuroo was in the middle of making dinner when Akaashi walked into the kitchen. 

"Hello." The younger said stiffly. 

Kuroo didn't look up. "What happened to not eating here anymore?" 

"Dining hall food is gross and expensive." 

Akaashi opened the fridge, then sighed. "Look, Kuroo-"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. 

Kuroo frowned as he made his way to the lounge.

It was way too early for Bokuto to be out of class, and even if he was, he knew they never locked the door anyway. 

So who could it be?

Kuroo was not expecting to see a police officer standing in the hallway.

"Ah, officer Shouta." He started, clearing his throat. "What are you doing here?" 

"We've concluded the investigation concerning Miss Kozume." The officer replied. "She was determined to be neglectful and has been taken into custody awaiting trial. I'm here to collect Kenma and his belongings." 

"Woah, wait a minute. Collect him?"

Akaashi had walked into the room when he heard the voice of the officer, and he frowned. "Kuroo, what's going on?" 

"Please gather the boy and any of his possessions." Shouta continued. "He's to be taken into custody immediately and will be placed with a family as soon as possible."

"You can't... you can't just take him away!" Kuroo argued. 

Akaashi walked further into the room and placed a hand on Kuroo's shoulder."Kuroo, listen to the officer." 

"But-"

"What other choice do you have?"

Kuroo looked between Akaashi and the officer, nodded stiffly, then left to his bedroom. 

He came out a minute later carrying Kenma and a drawstring bag filled with his clothes. 

Kenma was completely relaxed in Kuroo's arms, eyes half-closed.

Kuroo handed the bag of clothes over to the officer but hesitated in giving him Kenma.

"Can I just, have a minute?" 

Officer Shouta nodded and Kuroo put Kenma down, but the boy was so sleepy he could barely stand. 

Kuroo frowned as he looked at Kenma's half-lidded eyes and the way he was swaying slightly. 

He held Kenma’s arms to steady him.

"Kenma?" Kuroo started, voice breaking. "You have to go now, okay? But I promise I'm gonna get you back real soon. You'll only be gone for a little while, I swear." 

Kenma just looked at him blearily, and Kuroo sighed. 

He was sure that Kenma hadn't heard a word he'd said.

Despite this, Kuroo hugged him tightly before picking him back up and reluctantly handing him over to Shouta. 

He tried not to think about how warm Kenma was still feeling.

Kuroo wasn't sure if Kenma's half-consciousness would make the situation easier or harder in the end, but unfortunately, he didn't get the chance to wonder about it. 

As he was being passed over to Shouta, Kenma started to wake up and process what was going on, at least a little bit.

He frowned at the unfamiliar person holding him, then held his arms out to Kuroo. 

Kuroo didn't know when he'd started fighting back tears, or when his breathing started to get so fast, but he became hyper-aware that it felt like he was choking. "No, bud. You have to go now." 

Kenma shook his head quickly and started pushing away from the officer, grunting against the tight grip.

"I’m sorry, Kenma." 

Shouta started to walk towards the door, and that was when it happened. 

Kenma started _bawling_. 

And not just normal, quiet, Kenma crying- he was having a full on meltdown.

"No! No! Kuroo! _Kuroo_!" 

Kuroo's jaw dropped in shock for a moment. 

Not only had he'd never heard Kenma be this loud before, but he'd never seen Kenma cry like this before.

And this definitely wasn't how he imagined Kenma saying his name for the first time. 

The boy's throat sounded like it was being torn to shreds, the word ripping from it over and over again. 

Kenma was screaming and crying at the top of his lungs, coughing and choking on tears as he fought against the man who had a hold on him. 

He squirmed and pushed and tried to get Shouta to let go of him, but it was no use.

" _Kuroo_! _Kuroo_!" 

Kuroo's own tears were falling now, and he was fighting to hold back sobs. 

" _No_! _Kuroo_!" 

Kuroo collapsed onto the couch with his head in his hands as Shouta walked out the door with Kenma, trying to block out the screaming.

After only a moment Akaashi sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around him, allowing Kuroo to cry into his shoulder.

Akaashi himself was cringing at Kenma's cries.

He was ripping his throat raw, and they could hear it all the way down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was a well-written chapter. As a writer you kind of get desensitized to any drama or emotional scenes because you read them over and over again, so I’m not sure how you’ll all feel about the ending scene. 
> 
> Anyway I hope you enjoyed, and comments and kudos are always appreciated!


	7. Rock Bottom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo’s going through a lot right now.

"Hey 'Kaashi?" 

"Yes, Bokuto?" 

"Do you think Kuroo's gonna be okay?" 

Akaashi frowned at his breakfast and looked towards Kuroo's closed bedroom door. "He will be eventually." 

"Did you ask him if he was coming to practice?" 

Akaashi sighed, thinking about earlier that morning. 

He'd stood in Kuroo's doorway for almost fifteen minutes trying to get a word, a nod, a _response_ out of him with no dice. 

Kuroo had stayed curled up in bed facing the wall, just like he had been all night.

He'd barely even moved, but Akaashi could tell that he wasn't asleep.

Especially if the sniffling was any indication.

"I tried to tell him this would happen." Akaashi said, coming back to reality. "They call it 'temporary custody' for a reason."

"He cared about Kenma a lot, though." 

"I _told_ him not to get too attached." 

There was a brief silence, and Bokuto let out a heavy sigh. "I miss him, too." 

The previous night, Kuroo had spent almost an hour sobbing into Akaashi's shoulder.

By the time he'd managed to calm down even the slightest bit, his head and chest were aching. 

He pushed away from Akaashi, ignoring the younger's questions about where he was going, and stormed out of the apartment without even putting on a jacket. 

He only had one thought on his mind.

He walked the whole way to the police station, wiping away tears and planning what he was going to say. 

He’d come up with several different scenarios for what would happen once he got there.

But once he stepped foot inside the building, that had all gone out the window. 

There were police officers everywhere, but he spotted the chief immediately. 

The chief spotted him, too. "Mister Tetsurou, what are you doing here?" 

"You took Kenma away from me." Kuroo growled.

"Mister Tetsurou, that was always the plan. You were granted _temporary_ custody while the investigation was being conducted." 

"How do I make it permanent?" 

The chief frowned. "What?" 

"I want permanent custody." 

"Mister Tetsurou, you're young and still in school. I think that both you and Kenma would thrive if you simply allow us to place him in a proper home-"

"I don't give a damn what you think!" 

The room fell silent at the sudden outburst. 

Kuroo was crying again, and he shakily sat down in a nearby chair. 

"Mister Tetsurou-"

Kuroo rubbed his forehead. "Sorry... I'm sorry." 

"It's alright, Mister Tetsurou."

"Please, just... just help me. I have to get him back."

The chief sighed. "There are a lot specifications and procedures that need to be followed here. But, if you're truly serious about this-”

“I am.” 

“-we can set you on track to begin the adoption process."

That had been just over twelve hours ago. 

The police put his name on file and referred him to the correct department to start adoption, but the woman in charge of his case told him it could take months for him to be deemed a suitable caretaker.

When he returned home, the apartment had been dark and quiet. 

Kuroo had just crawled into bed as soon as he got home, and hadn't moved since.

"Kuroo, can I come in?" 

Bokuto sighed when he got no response, not that he'd truly been expecting one. 

He opened the door to Kuroo's room anyway, flooding the inside with light from the hallway. 

Bokuto glanced at the bed, but he could only see the tips of Kuroo's hair poking out from under the blankets. 

"Hey man... it's almost two." 

He stepped inside the room and moved to open the curtains. "Practice was weird without you, but don't worry, Coach isn't mad or anything." 

The room at least a bit brighter now, Bokuto looked at the bag in his hand. "I stopped at the café in town after class and got you a sandwich." 

He placed the bag of food on Kuroo's nightstand, watching the bed for any sign of movement.

There was none, but Bokuto kept talking anyway. 

"There's soup and some garlic bread in there too... just try and eat some of it, okay?" 

Bokuto moved back over to the door, pausing when he reached the doorway. "Maybe you can come out to the living room later if you're up to it." 

He took a hopeful moment to wait for a reply, then closed the door. 

Akaashi was waiting for him in the living room. "How's he doing?" 

"I'm not even entirely sure he's breathing." Bokuto replied, flopping down onto the couch. "He's really messed up about all this." 

"It'll take some time, but he'll be okay." 

Bokuto sat up. "Yeah, but 'Kaashi, he didn't even go to volleyball today. Think about that for a second. _Kuroo_ skipped _volleyball_."

Akaashi sighed. "I know." 

"I just want him to get better." 

"Yeah, me too." 

Later that night, Akaashi and Bokuto were eating dinner in the living room, a movie playing on the tv. 

About twenty minutes into the movie, a door opened on the other side of the apartment. 

Bokuto and Akaashi both looked up, but then another door opened and closed, and they heard the shower start running.

"I told him to join us," Bokuto said hopefully. "Maybe he's taking me up on the offer?" 

Ten minutes later, the shower turned off, and the door opened back up. 

Kuroo appeared in the doorway of the living room. 

His hair was damp and he still looked distraught, but at least he was out of his room. 

"Hey, buddy!" Bokuto started. "How are you feeling?" 

Kuroo just shrugged. "Thanks for the sandwich, Bo." 

"Come sit! You want dinner?" 

Kuroo shook his head, but still went to sit on the couch. 

He sat next to Bokuto, rather than Akaashi, and the younger teen sighed. 

"Look Kuroo, I'm sorry about what I said. I just... I knew this would happen. I didn't want you to get hurt." 

"I would've gotten hurt anyway." Kuroo replied. "This whole thing is ridiculous. They're just taking a scared little boy and making him even more scared. Once I get permanent custody I-"

Akaashi nearly choked. " _What_?" 

"What?" 

"Dude," Bokuto started. "You asked for permanent custody?" 

Kuroo nodded. "The same day they took him away." 

"Kuroo, you idiot!" Akaashi growled. "What the hell are you thinking?" 

"I'm thinking I don't want Kenma to spend his life moving from family to family with people who can't take care of him." 

"And what makes you think you can take care of him?" Akaashi asked. "You're still in college! You live in an on-campus apartment and you don't even have a job." 

"I'll get one if it means I can get Kenma back." 

Akaashi ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "You _have_ to think this through, Kuroo! If you don't go about this the right way then you're gonna destroy both of your lives!" 

"Then _help_ me go about it the right way!" 

Tears were starting to fall from Kuroo's eyes again. "You don't understand Akaashi. His mother, the one person in his life who was supposed to protect him with everything she had neglected him. He needs someone who can handle him and give him the care that he deserves. Nobody else understands his quirks and the things that make him upset." 

"I'm sure they've dealt with selective mute kids before." 

"He needs _me_." Kuroo said.

"Kuroo-"

"And I need him."

Kuroo stood up from the couch. "I don't care how young I am, or that I'm still in school. Having Kenma these past few days made me the happiest I've ever been. It just feels _right_. I can't go on without him, knowing he's out there scared and alone. I just can't." 

He turned and retreated back down the hall towards his room. 

"Kuroo," Bokuto started, "Wait-!" 

Then the door slammed, and Akaashi sighed. 

He'd never seen Kuroo be that intense before, unless it was about volleyball. 

No... intense wasn't the right word to describe what Akaashi saw. 

He was being passionate, and concerned, and... loving. 

That was it. 

Nothing else could've sparked that much anger in Kuroo. 

He really _did_ care about Kenma, and not just because he had to. 

He... he loved him.

He truly wanted Kenma in his life, no matter the cost. 

Akaashi sighed again and pulled out his phone. 

If they were going to do this, they needed to do it right.

He had a phone call to make.


	8. Somewhere Along All Your Connections, There’s A Lawyer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The obligatory court-room scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is technically the last chapter since the next update will be a short little epilogue. So, I want to thank you all for reading! I had a lot of fun with this story and I hope you all did as well!

Later that evening, there was a knock on the door. 

Akaashi opened it with a bow, and the person on the other side immediately embraced him in a hug. 

"Keiji, it's so good to see you!" 

Akaashi chuckled. "It's good to see you too Aunt Mei. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances." 

Mei smiled. "Anytime I get to see my favorite nephew is a good time! Now, where's this Kuroo fellow?" 

Akaashi led Mei to Kuroo's room and lightly knocked on the door. 

"I told you to go _away_ , Bokuto!" Kuroo called from inside.

Akaashi cringed. 

Kuroo's voice was thick and wet- it sounded like he'd been crying again. 

"Kuroo, it's me." Akaashi started. "Open the door, please?"

The door opened to reveal a puffy-eyed, red-faced Kuroo, who was staring daggers. 

If looks could kill Akaashi would have died, came back to life, and died again. 

"What?" Kuroo snapped. 

Akaashi cringed again at his sharp tone. 

Oh yeah, Kuroo was _pissed_.

Akaashi bowed, which threw the older off guard, though the anger never left.

"I'm sorry." He started. "I shouldn't have said what I said, and I shouldn't doubt what you can and can’t do. Please, let me help you make things right." 

Kuroo crossed his arms. "How?"

"Kuroo, this is my Aunt Mei. Aunt Mei, this is Kuroo." 

Kuroo gave a quick bow to Akaashi's aunt. 

"Nice to meet you." He said, though he didn't sound sure. "Not to be rude, but how exactly are you supposed to help?" 

"Aunt Mei is a lawyer." Akaashi explained. "She specializes in child custody cases." 

"I think I can help you out with your situation." Mei said with a smile. "But we need to get to work immediately. Let's get to talking, shall we?" 

They headed into the kitchen to set up at the table, and Kuroo turned to look at his roommate, the anger slowly melting from his expression. "Thanks, Akaashi."

Akaashi smiled. "No problem." 

Two days later Akaashi, Bokuto, Kuroo, and Mei were among the many others arriving at the Tokyo Courthouse. 

"I hate wearing suits." Bokuto complained as they walked inside. "They always feel too tight and they don't look right on me." 

"You look great, Bokuto." Akaashi said. 

Bokuto immediately softened. "You really think so? Oh, you look great too, 'Kaashi."

Kuroo chuckled, despite how nervous he was feeling. "Thanks for coming, guys." 

"Of course, Kuroo." Akaashi started. 

"Yeah man, we got your back." Bokuto said, putting a hand on Kuroo's shoulder. "Besides, we're looking forward to seeing Kenma again too, right 'Kaashi?" 

Akaashi nodded. 

There was light chatter inside the courtroom, which made the atmosphere less tense than Kuroo expected it to be. 

Still though, his hands shook as he and Mei headed to their seats at the front table. 

Bokuto and Akaashi hung back and sat in the public benches with the rest of the everyday citizens who were interested in the trial. 

The court reporter was already sitting in his spot at the front of the room, observing and typing as people walked inside. 

A man from Child Protective Services was sitting at the other front table with his lawyer. 

A security guard stood near the witness stand. 

After a moment the bailiff announced, "Please rise for Judge Shori." 

Everyone in the room stood, and the judge approached his stand. 

Kuroo's breath caught in his throat as he saw the judge, and he had to remind himself to calm down. 

He tried to settle his nerves the same way he did before volleyball, but his mind was still racing, trying to remember everything he and Mei talked about and everything he was supposed to say.

"You may be seated." Judge Shori said.

Everyone sat, though it took Kuroo an extra moment to realize he could sit back down. 

Luckily nobody seemed to notice.

"The court is now in session." Judge Shori continued, reading off of his report. "We're here today to discuss the best interest of three year old Kenma Kozume, and if he should remain under governmental custody, or if he should be placed in the household of Mister Kuroo Tetsurou."

He looked up. "I'd now like to bring in Kenma and have him sit in on these proceedings in order to gauge his behavior." 

The door to the courtroom opened, and a woman walked in leading a very stubborn three year old.

Kenma was dressed in a dark blue suit and the converse sneakers Kuroo had bought for him. 

He was holding onto the woman's hand, and his other hand was tugging at the bottom of his suit's coat. 

His eyes were practically drilling a hole in the courtroom floor. 

Judge Shori looked to Kuroo. "Go ahead Mister Tetsurou, greet him. I'd like to see his reaction." 

Kuroo took a deep breath as he stood. 

As he'd learned on their last day together, Kenma was a very emotionally charged child. 

What if he was mad at Kuroo for what happened? 

Kenma was definitely hurt and confused, Kuroo wouldn’t put it past him to be angry. 

What if he thought that Kuroo abandoned him? 

...The same way his mother had done.

Kuroo cleared his throat. "Uh... hey, Kenma." 

Kenma's head shot up at his voice, and the boy's eyes lit up when he caught sight of Kuroo.

He immediately snatched his hand out of the woman's grasp and ran to the front of the court. 

He practically jumped into Kuroo's arms, clinging to his neck. 

"Kuroo." He whispered. 

It took everything Kuroo had to not burst into tears right there. 

Even though they'd only been apart for three days, it felt like much longer. 

Kuroo could hear the people behind him chuckling at Kenma's behavior, but he didn't care. 

Kenma was here with him, and that's what mattered.

He sat down, hugging Kenma back. "Hey buddy, are you feeling better?" 

Kuroo reached up to feel Kenma's forehead, frowning when he realized that the boy was still pretty warm.

Kenma sniffled, and Kuroo pulled a tissue out of his pocket. "Here, let me help you blow your nose." 

Kenma allowed Kuroo to do so, then latched back on to him. 

Then he did something he'd never done before. 

He spoke a full sentence. 

"I wanna go home with you."

Okay, _that_ made Kuroo tear up. 

He hastily wiped his eyes and realized that the judge was speaking to him. 

"I hate to interrupt, Mister Tetsurou, but if we could proceed?" 

Kuroo nodded. "Kenma, you have to go sit now." 

Kenma shook his head. 

"Kuroo." He whispered.

The woman who had brought Kenma in- Kuroo guessed she worked for Child Protection- walked over. "Kenma, how about we bring some chairs over, and you can sit right here next to Kuroo, okay?"

"You want that, Kenma?" Kuroo asked. 

Kenma nodded and allowed Kuroo to put him in a chair next to him, but he held onto Kuroo's hand the whole time, almost scared to let go.

The proceedings were fairly standard.

Kuroo was called to the witness stand to explain how he'd come across Kenma and describe the sequence of events up to this point. 

Then came the question of _why_ he wanted custody. 

"Mister Tetsurou," Mei started, "How did you feel when Kenma entered the room today?" 

"Happy." Kuroo answered. "Excited, worried..." 

"Worried? Why?" 

"He got sick on Wednesday night." Kuroo explained. "He had a fever, cough, runny nose... I wanted to see if he was feeling better." 

"Is he?" 

"He still has a fever and is pretty stuffed up. I'm not sure if anyone from Child Protection tried to give him medicine, but I don't doubt that he wouldn't take it if they did." 

"Did he take the medicine you gave him?

"Yes, ma'am."

Mei nodded. "What can you tell us about his medical condition?" 

"The selective mutism?" 

"Yes, please." 

"He doesn't like to talk much, he prefers pointing or whispering." Kuroo explained. "The doctor said it's classified as a social anxiety disorder, and it's something he can grow out of with the proper treatment." 

"And have you been giving him the proper treatment?" 

"My roommates and I were taking him to speech therapy twice a week." 

"You seem to have quite the handle on this." 

"I just want what's best for him." 

"The speech therapy seems to be working." Mei observed. "Just remind the court please, what was it he said after he ran to you and hugged you?" 

"I want to go home with you." 

Mei nodded. "No further questions, Your Honor." 

Once Kuroo's examination was done, the representative for Child Protection Services was being questioned. 

As this went on, Kuroo felt Kenma tug on his sleeve. 

He looked down at the boy. "What is it?" 

"Socks." Kenma whispered. 

Kuroo frowned. "What?" 

Kenma pointed down at his shoes, and Kuroo realized what he meant. 

Trying his best to be subtle so they didn't disturb the court, he turned Kenma towards him and started to untie his shoes. 

However, the judge noticed this and frowned. "Mister Tetsurou, what are you doing?" 

"Sorry, Your Honor." Kuroo said. "I don't mean to interrupt. Kenma doesn't like the inseam of his socks touching the tips of his toes." 

Judge Shori's frown deepened. "The inseam of his sock?" 

Kuroo adjusted Kenma's socks then put his shoes back on him. 

"Yes sir, it's a sensory processing issue. It's a common symptom experienced with selective mutism." 

The judge thought for a moment, then looked to the Child Protection representative. "I've seen enough. Mister Tetsurou, would you please rise for the court?" 

Kuroo stood. 

"I see in my records that you are applying for adoption, yes?" 

"Yes, Your Honor." 

"Then why come here today?" 

"I want to adopt Kenma, but I've been told it can take months for the process to be complete." Kuroo explained. "I can't stand the idea of Kenma being with a family of strangers during that time. I'd like to take him home with me, today if I could." 

Judge Shori nodded. "I've come to a decision. Given the behavior exemplified by both Kuroo Tetsurou and Kenma Kozume in this courtroom today, I deem Mister Tetsurou a suitable caretaker for Kenma. I grant him temporary custody while the adoption process finalizes, effective immediately." 

Kuroo’s knees buckled, and he braced himself by putting his hands on the table in front of him. 

He had to put conscious effort into keeping a straight face. "Thank you, Your Honor." 

"Child Protection will be visiting once a week until the adoption is complete to check in on the state of the child, but I don't suspect there will be any problems. This court is hereby adjourned." 

A hit of the gavel officially ended the meeting, and Kuroo immediately picked Kenma up, happy tears streaming down his face. "You hear that bud? You get to come home!" 

"Home." Kenma agreed. 

Then suddenly they were being enveloped in hugs from Bokuto and Akaashi. 

"You did it, Kuroo, you did it!" Bokuto exclaimed. 

Kuroo smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you guys." 

Kenma looked at the two roommates, then to Kuroo. "Bokuto and 'Kaashi are coming home too?" 

Bokuto and Akaashi both grinned, and Kuroo hugged Kenma again.

"Yeah, buddy. We're all going home."


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short little timeskip showcasing the new life of our rag-tag family.

**-Three and a Half Months Later-**

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" 

Akaashi groaned and pushed the owner of the offending voice off of him. "Bokuto, it's too early." 

"But 'Kaashi, it's Christmas!"

"It's still too early." 

"It's _never_ too early for Christmas! Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

Bokuto started pushing on Akaashi's back with every 'wake up', and Akaashi glared at him.

"I bet Kenma isn't even awake yet." 

"Actually I woke him up fifteen minutes ago." 

"Bokuto!" He growled. 

Bokuto put his hands up in defense. "Don't hit me, Kuroo already did!" 

"Kuroo's up too?" 

"Yup, he's in the kitchen making a coffee." 

Akaashi groaned. 

That meant he _had_ to get up.

"Tell him to make it two coffees," Akaashi said. "I'll be right out." 

He must've fallen back asleep for a few minutes, because when Akaashi opened his eyes again Bokuto was gone.

He sat up and yawned into his fist before swinging his legs off of the bed.

Looking around the room- which was decked out in Christmas decorations at Bokuto's insistence- he stretched and then headed out into the hallway.

They'd moved into this new, bigger, off-campus apartment almost three months ago, a few weeks after Kuroo regained his temporary custody of Kenma.

Kuroo had contacted his family about the situation not long after his custody was restored, and took Kenma home the following weekend to meet his parents. 

They absolutely _adored_ the toddler, and even gifted Kuroo the money for the deposit on the apartment. 

Kuroo had of course wanted to continue living with Bokuto and Akaashi, and they moved in on the first of October. 

They split the rent evenly between the three of them, so they all had jobs now. 

Sure, it was a lot to handle- school, volleyball, work, and Kenma- but they were happier than ever. 

Akaashi took a moment to admire the framed photos on the walls as he walked through the hall and down the stairs to the living room.

A group photo from when they moved in, Kenma at his first day of his new preschool, a group photo from the first volleyball game they took Kenma to (which they won, by the way), Kenma's birthday, Kuroo's birthday...

When Akaashi made it to the living room, he found Bokuto excitedly bouncing in place by the Christmas tree. 

"I can't wait to open presents!" Bokuto exclaimed. 

He bent down to pick one up but before he could, he got interrupted. 

"Hey! No peeking!" 

Akaashi smiled as he spotted Kenma sitting on the arm of the couch in his pajamas.

Kenma was speaking in full sentences around all three of them now, and at a relatively normal volume. 

He was still a quiet and shy kid, but Kaiya had assured them that the sentence milestone was a major development and they should be proud of how far they'd gotten with him in such a short amount of time.

Back to reality, Bokuto was still having a full-on argument with the four year old. "I'm not peeking, I'm just picking up and shaking to guess what's inside." 

"Kuroo says if you peek, Santa will come take all the presents back." 

"Well Kuroo is lying." 

"What was that?" Kuroo started, entering the room with two mugs of coffee in hand. 

"Nothing!" Bokuto squeaked. 

In order to distract from the situation, he swept Kenma up in his arms and started tickling him. "Not even Christmas is safe from the tickle monster!" 

Kenma started squealing and giggling in response, and Kuroo walked over to Akaashi. 

He handed the younger a mug of coffee.

"Thanks." 

On the other side of the room, Bokuto stopped tickling Kenma to let him catch his breath. 

"I bet you didn't get _any_ presents." Kenma taunted. "Santa put you on the naughty list." 

Bokuto put his hands to his chest. "Why do you feel the need to hurt me, Kenma?" 

Kenma giggled again, then jumped up when he noticed Kuroo was in the room. 

"Kuroo!" He exclaimed, running over to the student. "And 'Kaashi! Can we open the presents now?" 

Kuroo chuckled. "Yes Kenma, we can open the presents now." 

"Just make sure you only open ones with your name on them, okay?" Akaashi added. 

Kenma nodded. "I can read _and_ spell my name now. K-E-N-M-A." 

Kuroo smiled fondly. "Good job, buddy." 

"Does your teacher know you can do that?" Akaashi asked. 

“I...” Kenma frowned and looked down at his feet sheepishly. "I can point at the letters..." 

Kuroo put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Kenma. You start talking in school when you feel ready to, okay?" 

Kenma nodded.

"Guys, come on!" Bokuto started from the other side of the room. "These presents aren't gonna open themselves!" 

"Hang on, hang on!" Kuroo said. "Group picture first!"

As Kuroo set up his phone and they all got positioned in front of the tree, Akaashi smiled. 

Another photo to go on the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s all folks! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did! 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and Happy Holidays!


End file.
